Beauty and health crazes abound but be very careful with what you put on and in your body, whoever is touting it. There are products sold for purification that are actually poisonous. The latest culprit to come under fire is a brand of bentonite detox clay.
Bentonite Me Baby, reports Boing Boing, is a clay touted for internal and external use and sold at Target. It contains dangerously high levels of lead. Although the product is meant to purify consumers of unspecified toxins, it contains lead far beyond FDA limits for ingestion. So what’s the story?
Isn’t Lead Dangerous?
We know from the recent reports of children poisoned from drinking water with lead in Flint, Michigan, that this cannot be good news. But the manufacturer of the detox product, Alikay Naturals, dismisses concerns, all while admitting the extraordinary lead levels.
The company is able to sell a poison product as a detox aid somehow, saying it is a “cosmetic” and not a “food.” Nonetheless the label reportedly advises ingestion, “to aid in colon and detox cleansing to remove harmful toxins from the body, which helps many things including raising energy levels.”
Scary Stuff
The scary stuff was discovered and reported by a conscious Target shopper, who happened to know of a family harmed by bentonite clay that had high lead levels. Megan Curran de Nieto, director of community health programs at Saint Paul-based CLEARCorps, was shocked to find Bentonite Me Baby on store shelves.
She was even more disturbed when she noted the advice to try eating the clay. Yet bentonite has a following among celebrities, juicers, and other pseudo-purists.
Not So Pure
If you have been injured by a cosmetic or any other product, consult with an attorney. Many attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to assess your case.
Related Resources:
- Hurt by a product or accident? Get your claim reviewed for free. (Consumer Injury)
- What Is an Unavoidably Unsafe Product? (FindLaw)
- Lead FAQ (FindLaw)
